Gratitude Festival opens Saturday in Dartmouth

Thursday

Sep 5, 2013 at 12:01 AM

First, it was Woodstock. Since then, other art and music festivals seemed to come and go until Lollapalooza hit in the '90s, but even that gathering had its share of problems, virtually disappearing until a more recent reincarnation.

Nick Walecka

First, it was Woodstock. Since then, other art and music festivals seemed to come and go until Lollapalooza hit in the '90s, but even that gathering had its share of problems, virtually disappearing until a more recent reincarnation.

In the last 10 years or so, festivals have become all the rage, attracting hundreds of thousands of revelers to places like Coachella in Indio, Calif., and Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tenn., every year, strictly for the sake of seeing dozens or hundreds of musical acts in a single sitting.

The first ever Gratitude Festival this Saturday and Sunday at the Holy Ghost Grounds (2 Allen's Neck Way, South Dartmouth) might not bring in the same size crowds as some of the bigger bashes around the country, but they've brought something to the SouthCoast that hasn't really existed on a public level until now — a full-fledged cultural experience with music, food, art, and camping all while promoting local business, agriculture and healthy living.

Local festival organizers Max Cover, Andy Erickson and Nikki Glaspie had been toying with the idea of setting something up for some time, but planning started officially in February, with Cover and Erickson handling most of the logistics. Glaspie, who was the drummer for some time in Beyonce's backing band and who's currently in Dumpstaphunk, Gratitude's headliner, was in charge of booking the national acts.

"She was able to bring in some of the talent that we wouldn't have been able to get in the first place," said Cover, who along with Erickson has been into concert promotion for more than a decade. "She's an amazing person to work with. She's entrenched in the music scene."

Not only will she play and sing background with Dumpstaphunk, a funky New Orleans outfit that's led by Ivan Neville of the famous family and that's toured and headlined several festivals around the country, but she'll also be performing with the Nth Power, who have also been getting some national attention of late.

Some other nationally known acts include the Lifted Crew, a New York City outfit that was hip-hip pioneer Big Daddy Kane's backing band, as well as Nigel Hall, who plays with the Boston-based Soulive and Lettuce.

"It's an all-star crew," said Cover, who also said there was a focus to mix the larger-scale talents with some of the best talent from the local scene, as well as to provide a diverse group of artists. Some local acts include songstress Rebecca Correia, hip-hop artist and community activist Tem Blessed, Omega Sounds/89.3 WUMD Selectas (reggae, dub), and psych-rockers Background Orcs, to name a few.

Cover also said that they wanted to promote other local artists, organizations, and business as well, and there will be an art gallery, a Local Food Bizarre (2 to 4 p.m. Saturday), activities like yoga, hiking, and rock climbing, and guest speakers who will hold sessions on things like sustainability and agriculture. Overnight camping will be available Saturday night at the adjacent Round the Bend Farm, and there will even be bus transportation provided to the beach at Demarest Lloyd for those looking to get away for a swim. Adult beverages will also be provided. To top it all off, 50 percent of the proceeds will go to Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership (SEMASS).

"We're trying to build something that engages all the members of the community," said Cover. Though it's only the group's first festival, it seems that they have all their bases covered, and that they might just be onto something that can continue to be special for years to come.

For tickets ($45 through Friday, $50 at the gate, $30 per car or $10 per person for camping) go to http://gratitudeharvestfestival.com/. No pets or glass containers.

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